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portion sizes

Hello

Help!!!! Can someone talk to me about portion sizes for a almost 2 year old big boy. Sometimes M has a bigger lunch than me - i know he can only eat what i give him but he seems to want to eat constantly. I am happy with what he eats its just the sheer volume. I want to get on top of the portion sizes we are giving him but have lost my way a little. Any advice??

I emptied out his packed lunch at the child minders last week and i noticed he had the same size sarnie as the 5 year old sat next to him - he never leaves a thing either and will happily eat what anyone else has left. So time to get on top of it but help me please. Thank you xxx

I don't see anything wrong with what you are giving him.
C now has:
Breast
8 ish - Bowl of porridge (oats usually - with lots of milk) and his portion is about the same size as mine
10 ish - snack - biscuit and juice (or dry cereal seems to be a current fave) Fruit
12 ish - lunch - if at creche it will be some type of stew or, in winter, soup - they often tell me that he eats two or even 3 portions of the lunch. At home it will be a sandwhich or french toast or whatever we are having for lunch (today it is chicken biryani)
3p.m he has a pot of yoghurt
6ish dinner with us - meat and veg with rice/potato (he eats an entire baked potato on his own
7ish fruit or other snack
All through the day he will also have juice and bed-time it is breast again

For some reason I can't get his to take milk anymore and that is why I put loads into his porridge...
Oh added to everything else that he has at creche we also pack in a cheese sandwhich that he usually polishes off too

I guess the question is would you be happy /would it be healthy for him to carry on growing at the rate that he is. If not then it may be worth discussing it with your health visitor /doctor to see if any modifications to his diet are warrented - he obviously eats a healthy diet as it is! Portion sizes are so individual, my 15 month old daughter is in no rush to grow out of 6-9 month clothes, is a skinny minnie and can put away two weatabix, a pear & a slice of toast for breakfast. Her brother on the other hand is a bit of a chunk and i tend to keep a watch on how much cheese I give him (he'd eat the kitchen sink given half a chance!)

He doesn't sound like he's snacking on junk. he has a good mix of food, and is his weight is acceptable and not spirally out of control then I wouldn't worry.
My ds is much the same, he has always had a big appetite, and now often eats bigger portions than me
He'll have porridge or 2 weetabix for breakfast, with a banana and often a slice of toast, a sandwich made with 2 slices of bread, then fruit or raisans; then for tea he'll have whatever we have ( pies, spag bol, curry , chilli, fish, stew etc and will have about 2/3 of my portion size, followed by a youghurt.
as snacks he'll have raisans, cheese, fruit and the odd bisuit here and there.
I know he does, and always has eaten alot, but my theory is, that he's not overweight, he doesn;t eat rubbish, and he's always on the go- so I let hom eat it.
I wouldn;t worry too much hun, they're so active that he'll burn it all if in noi time.
x

BTW, H
I have to add: I just had another look at his most recent photos and he looks no chubbier than C did before his last surgery and C's paed has always said that C is perfectly in proportion.
Don't just look at his weight, Hun. Look at his weight in proportion to his height. If he is 90th centile for weight but 50th for height you would need to look at his food intake but if the difference in centiles for his height in relation to weight is only about 10-15 points then you don't need to worry.
C had been well above 95th for weight and about 93rd for height (difference 2) for a long time and now he is just on 95th for weight but has gone up to above 95th for height...

Thats great everyone thank you. I worry because he is a wheezy baby and i dont want his weight putting a strain on him. I think his diet is fine its something i am very careful about so i just cant see how he is so much bigger than other kids his age but as you say theres lots more too it. He is pretty much head and shoulders above them too i think he looks about 3 sometimes. Blimmin gorgeous though!! Wee soul has just devoured his tea like he has never been fed before ha ha xxx